Gerardo Puopolo (C3A) ©UniTrento (ph. Federico Nardelli)
Our connection to the local area
“This campaign demonstrates the University’s strong connection with the local area and helps to strengthen this bond, a mutual sense of belonging,” said Vice-Chancellor Flavio Deflorian. “These days, research requires more than just initiative, expertise and hard work: for projects to flourish, everyone’s commitment is needed. And the enthusiasm with which the community takes part in our initiatives shows just how keen we all are to work together to develop practical solutions for health and the environment.” Alessandra Montresor, head of the Communications and External Relations Department at the University of Trento, outlined the details of the campaign: “For UniTrento, crowdfunding is a winning bet on participation and transparency,” she said. It only takes a few clicks: whatever amount you contribute helps advance science, gives you a first-hand insight into how progress is made, and allows you to become part of the UniTrento community.”
Manuela Piazza (Cimec) ©UniTrento (ph. Federico Nardelli)
Sport on the pitch
Sport is also getting involved in supporting the initiative this year: the two races, the BTS Trento Running Festival and 30Trentina, are partners in the fundraising campaign. The first event, scheduled to take place in Trento on Sunday 27 September, supports the ‘Curiamo la terra’ study: participants will be able to contribute to the fundraising effort through their entry fees. The 30Trentina, scheduled for Sunday 4 October in Valsugana, will support the ‘I segnali segreti dei neonati’ project, offering the chance to combine the sporting challenge with support for research. At both events, athletes from the UniTrento community will be able to run wearing the University’s colours.
Il rettore dell’Università di Trento Flavio Deflorian ©UniTrento (ph. Federico Nardelli)
Contact details
“Let’s Look After Our Land” is led by Gerardo Puopolo, a lecturer at the Centre for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (C3A), and aims to study microorganisms capable of breaking down soil contaminants. It is estimated that in Italia, pesticide residues are present in 55 per cent of surface water and that, in 79 per cent of cases, drinking water is contaminated with PFAS. The aim of the project is to make a difference to these figures and to ‘heal the land’: to identify a natural and safe approach to remediating soil and water. In practical terms, the research team will focus on selecting and developing beneficial microorganisms capable of degrading pesticides and PFAS and restoring soil vitality. The crowdfunding will enable the purchase of a spectrometer and a fermenter for the laboratory, which are necessary to continue the research with the aim of subsequently moving on to fieldwork.
“The Secret Signals of Newborns” is authored by Manuela Piazza, a lecturer at the Interdepartmental Centre for Mind and Brain (Cimec) and the Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences (Dispco), and stems from the realisation that in Italia, neurodevelopmental disorders affect thousands of children and their families. For autism spectrum disorders and learning difficulties, the timeliness of intervention is crucial: the aim of the study is to identify early on the signs that may indicate developmental difficulties, by monitoring newborns from the very first days of life using a safe and non-invasive technology, electroencephalography (EEG).
In practical terms, the crowdfunding will be used to purchase EEG headbands designed specifically for newborn babies, both boys and girls, which are capable of detecting brain signals with high precision and maximum comfort.
